Workers at The Gabriel Foundation’s offices arrived one day to find an abandoned Cockatoo in a cardboard box taped to the front door.

Unwanted birds have also been found in the foundation’s trash bin, says founder Julie Weiss Murad.

The Gabriel Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of Parrots[2] and all their exotic cousins – Macaws[3], Cockatiels and Lovebirds[4], among others – has found itself at the leading edge of a national problem more often associated with dogs and cats:

Financially strained owners say they can no longer afford to care for them.

But that’s where the similarity with cats and dogs ends, says Murad, who has been around birds more than 40 years.

"The difference is that so many people don’t recognize what is considered appropriate or species-specific care for Parrots," she explains. "And they may be living marginally themselves."

The Chicago Tribune [5]put it ithis way n a recent article on the subject: “Popular choices such as Parrots and Cockatoos[6] can be loud, messy, destructive (and) suffocatingly social.”

Diana Federl of the Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club added:”They think they’re getting a dog or a cat that will go lie down in the corner and go to sleep. What they actually get is (the equivalent of) a 2-year-old child who throws temper tantrums and is very demanding.”

Experts say the birds need specially formulated food and time outside their cages. They need a large selection of toys that are rotated regularly. And they need lots of attention.

“Most of these birds, in the wild, live with tens or hundreds of other birds,” said Dr. Graham Merkin, a veterinarian at Downers Grove Animal Hospital and Bird Clinic in Chicago. “If you’re going to have a bird without other birds, then you have to be the flock.”

Murad adds that Psittacines, as Parrots and similar birds with hooked bills and three claws (two facing forward and one backward) are called, hide their illnesses as a natural survival
instinct and are capable of passing some diseases on to humans.

Oh, and they live a long time – up to 60 years, Murad says.

Ready to adopt?

You should be if you’re properly prepared, says Murad, who views them as very social, wondrous creatures. She has surrounded herself with them for decades. You just have to understand that
there are more than 300 separate species of Psittacines with their own needs compared to one species of dogs or cats.

“It is very easy to acquire unwanted birds,” she says. “There is still the strong public perception that Parrots are ‘exotic and valuable’ birds. But they are priced so low some people consider them disposable.”.

The foundation is also seeing more cruelty cases, she adds.

“We have nearly 700 parrots under our care, a waiting list of nearly 300 and are regularly called upon by the State of Colorado for animal neglect, cruelty and abuse in regard to Parrots,” Murad
says. “We have also been called in to assist in other states in Parrot cruelty issues.”

Euthanasia of unwanted birds is not a viable option. she says, because spaying and neutering of Psittacines is costly, dangerous and the survival rate is not great. So the foundation marches on
by caring for birds at its 10th and Acoma headquarters in Denver or its aviary and adoption center in Elizabeth.

Murad says that a major focus of the foundation is education. For example, those wanting to adopt birds must take an online course first to learn proper care.

“And we do a lot of proactive things with animal shelters, schools, veterinary students, Community College pf Denver, Metro State and others,” she adds.

The Gabriel Foundation, named after a Macaw that Murad once owned, has 25 staff members and 35 volunteers to handle the work. It gets part of its income from an e-commerce site selling pet products, which are also avavailable at a store called The Birdbrain[8] at the 1025 Acoma Street site. It also gets money from grants, adoption fees, memberships, bird sponsorships and behavioral training[9].

One thing that Murad would like to have more of, though, is kids.

“All of us love having kids around. They are the future. But kids today, how do you capture their interest?”

Food for homeless pets - The Humane Society of Boulder Valley[12] recently joined the One Hope Network by Purina ONE® to help homeless pets in need and inspire communities to take action to help them. The One Hope Network is a community of shelters dedicated to making a difference in the lives of
homeless pets by feeding them Purina ONE® brand pet food, so these pets can look and feel their best and have a better chance of getting adopted, and inspire people to take action to help pets in need. Currently, the One Hope Network feds more than 120,000 homeless pets that are located in animal welfare[13] organizations across the country. More information: onehope.org[14].

Special cat deal - As part of its “Cat Days of Summer” adoption campaign, the Dumb Friends League Buddy Center[15] will host a special for cats from Thursday, July 1 through Friday, July 9. Adoption fees will be half off or waived for specific adult cats during the “Red, White & Blue” special. The special offers half-price adoptions for all adult cats, 1 to 5 years old, that have any amount of red (orange), white or blue (gray) fur. Adoption fees are waived for any cat, 6 years or older,
throughout the summer months. The adoption special takes place at the Buddy Center, located at 4556 Castleton Court in Castle Rock. Each cat’s adoption fee includes a spay/neuter surgery,
preliminary vaccinations, microchip implant and registration, collar and identification tag, and a free initial office visit with a participating veterinarian. Information: ddfl.org [16]or call (303)
751-5772, Ext. 6800.